The French writer Jean-Michel Genassia became known for his novels such as "The Club of Unrepentant Optimists," "The Amazing Life of Ernesto Che" and "Cheat Death." His book "The Club of Unrepentant Optimists" was acclaimed by critics around the world and was awarded the Prix Goncourt by French lyceum students.
The main character of the novel is twelve-year-old Michel Marini, who lives in Paris in the early 1960s. He goes through a difficult transitional age, is passionate about photography, and loves reading. In a secret room of a Paris bistro, known as the "Club of Unrepentant Optimists," he meets strange people who fled from countries sealed off by the Iron Curtain, and learns about their lives and hopes.